Sundance 2017: Film Acquisitions

The directorial debut from Zoe Lister-Jones landed on many best-of-the-festival lists, and IFC Films picked up U.S. rights to the comedy that follows a bickering couple who try to save their relationship by starting a band and channeling their respective angst through their music. And that's Fred Armisen on the drums, ladies and gentlemen.

New indie distributor Neon picked up this coming-of-age drama from festival veteran Eliza Hittman. The film, which won the U.S. Dramatic Competition's directing award, depicts a Brooklyn teenager who balances his time between his trouble-making friends and a potential new girlfriend, while exploring a penchant for cruising for older men online. In the wake of controversy surrounding the fate of one of the story's characters, Pittman has proved herself to be a filmmaker who is truly one to watch.

A summer U.S. release is planned for this offbeat comedy after Sony Pictures Classics acquired worldwide distribution rights for a reported $5 million. With a wide-ranging cast that employs Mark Hamill, Claire Danes, and numerous 'Saturday Night Live' alums — including Brigsby co-writer and current cast member Kyle Mooney — the movie documents a 25-year-old man's relationship with a fictional children's-show character that played a key role in his unusual upbringing.

Lakeith Stanfield stars in this hard-hitting drama about a man sent to prison on a murder conviction and his friend who fights for 20 years to reverse the verdict. Amazon Studios, in their fifth acquisition at the festival, dropped another $2 million on the well-received picture.

The Orchard has acquired all North American rights to Brett Haley’s drama starring Sam Elliott, in a deal understood to be worth $3 million. The film, in which Elliott plays an ailing movie star who comes to terms with his past and mortality, is expected to be released theatrically in fall 2017.

Neon has acquired the rights to Matt Spicer's indie comedy-drama that follows Ingrid Thorburn (Aubrey Plaza), a mentally disturbed young woman, who becomes obsessed with Taylor Sloane (Elizabeth Olsen), a social media star who appears to have the perfect life. When Ingrid decides to drop everything and move west to befriend Taylor, her behavior turns unsettling and increasingly dangerous.

Sony Pictures Classics has acquired worldwide rights to this drama set in the 1960s, which centers on a young woman in training to become a nun who struggles with issues of faith, the changing church and sexuality. The film is expected to be released later in 2017.

Reportedly subject to a bidding war, this New Jersey-based movie from first-time director Geremy Jasper landed with Fox Searchlight in an estimated $10.5 million deal. Patti Cake$ chronicles the quest of rapper Patricia 'Killa P' Dombrowski (Danielle Macdonald) to break out of the local strip-mall circuit.

You could hear gasps from the audience when it was announced that Chanté Adams was cast in this biopic eight days before it began production. With its third pick-up of the festival, Neon grabbed Roxanne Roxanne, a chronicle of legendary rapper Roxanne Shaté, in a deal worth a reported $3 million. Adams earned a Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Performance and is considered one of the festival's breakout stars.

Screenwriter Marti Noxon's big-screen debut as a director quickly generatred buzz by the end of the festival's first weekend. Netflix scooped up the comedy/drama that has already started conversations due to Lily Collins' remarkable physical transformation and her assured performance.

Director Miguel Arteta and screenwriter Mike White, who have previously stormed Sundance with the films The Good Girl and Chuck & Buck, literally handed this script to Salma Hayek as a birthday present, and their collective comedy has been scooped up by indie stalwarts Roadside Attractions and FilmNation.

Amazon Studios has landed distribution rights to this comedy romance in a deal understood to be worth $12 million. The film is about a Pakistani-American comedian (Kumail Nanjiani) whose relationship with his girlfriend (Zoe Kazan) is nearly derailed over cultural differences and a health crisis.

Sony Pictures Classics snapped up worldwide rights to this romance between an adolescent boy (Timothée Chalamet) and a summer guest (Armie Hammer) at his parents' cliffside mansion on the Italian Riviera.

Momentum Pictures has acquired North American theatrical rights to this comedy, while Netflix has secured streaming rights. The combined deals are understood to be worth around $5 million. The film, starring Toni Collette, Molly Shannon, Katie Aselton, and Bridget Everett, centers on four moms of pre-school children who decide to get together for a harmless "fun mom dinner."

Netflix has acquired worldwide rights to this comedy, which will premiere the film later this year on the streaming service. The story centers on an aspiring playwright (Jessica Williams) who strikes up a friendship with a guy (Chris O'Dowd) while on the rebound from a break-up.

Pariah filmmaker Dee Rees returned to Sundance with the WWII drama Mudbound, which received multiple standing ovations at its premiere screening. Reportedly one of the more expensive projects at the festival, Netflix laid down a $12.5 million for multi-territory rights, which should stand as the biggest sale of Sundance 2017. It's a high-profile role for Jason Mitchell, who played Eazy-E in Straight Outta Compton and will be seen later this year in Kong: Skull Island.

In its second pick-up at the festival, IFC Midnight has acquired documentarian Alexandre Philippe's obsessive break down of Psycho's infamous shower scene. "78" refers to the number of setups, while "52" represent how many cuts featured in the scene. Philippe is perhaps even hotter than his documentary since we hear he's being pursued by a number of agencies for representation.

RLJ Entertainment purchased U.S. rights to this action-thriller starring Dave Bautista and Brittany Snow. Former pro-wrestler Bautista plays a war veteran who helps a young woman when a military force invades their Brooklyn neighbourhood.

IFC Midnight has secured North American distribution rights for this Australian entry. The movie, from first-time director Damien Power, chronicles a couple's visit to a campground and the suspicious things they find within it.

FilmRise has acquired the North American rights to this rural drama, which marks the feature directorial debut of Amman Abbasi. The film centers on 13-year-old Dayveon, who spends sweltering summer days roaming his rural Arkansas town in the wake of his older brother's death. When he falls in with a local gang, he becomes drawn to the camaraderie and violence of their world.

A24 has acquired U.S. and Chinese distribution rights to the Joshua Z. Weinstein-directed father/son drama. Set within Brooklyn's ultra-orthodox Jewish community, the story centers on a widower who battles for custody of his son. The film is one of the first to be performed almost entirely in Yiddish in nearly 70 years.

Focus Features is understood to have paid around $5m for world rights to this psycho-thriller. Olivia Cooke, Anya Taylor-Joy, and the late Anton Yelchin star in the Cory Finley-directed drama about two suburban girls who rekindle their friendship and contemplate murder.

This gay-romance, which marks the debut feature of Francis Lee, has been picked up for the UK (Picturehouse Entertainment), France (Pyramide Films), Australia/New Zealand (Rialto), Benelux (September Film), and Scandinavia (Non Stop). The story centers on a young farmer who strikes up an intense relationship with a Romanian migrant worker. Lee won the special jury award at Sundance for directing.

Kino Lorber has acquired the North American rights this elephant dramedy, which marks the debut feature for writer-director Kirsten Tan and the first film from a Singaporean director to land an opening night slot at Sundance. The film centers on a disenchanted architect who bumps into his long-lost elephant on the streets of Bangkok. Excited, he takes his elephant on a journey across Thailand, in search of the farm where they grew up together.

Kino Lorber plans to release the movie in North American theaters this summer, with a VOD and physical media release later in the year.

HBO has acquired U.S. television rights to this documentary, directed by Oscar nominee Evgeny Afineevsky (Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom). The film draws on hundreds of hours of war footage shot by Syrian activists and citizen journalists. Content Media has acquired international sales rights.

Paramount Pictures announced during Sundance that it would release the sequel to An Inconvenient Truth theatrically on July 28, 2017. A decade after the first film brought climate change into the heart of popular culture, the follow-up -- again fronted by Al Gore -- follows the former Vice President in his efforts to fight climate change.

Gravitas Ventures has acquired U.S. distribution rights to this documentary, which centers on the Special Forces troops deployed to Afghanistan on secret missions after 9/11 to overthrow the Taliban. CNN retains U.S. broadcast rights.

Netflix acquired this documentary, which centers on memories and mythology around the unsolved murder case of 6-year-old American beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey. Casting JonBenet will launch on Netflix and in limited theatrical release in the spring.

Netflix has bought worldwide rights for the documentary about the destruction of coral reefs as a result of global warming. in the film, a team of divers, photographers and scientists set out on a thrilling ocean adventure to discover why and to reveal the underwater mystery to the world.

Amazon strikes again, this time with a reported $2 million dollar acquisition of Matthew Heineman's documentary that chronicles the efforts of a group of anonymous activists/journalists whose homeland — Raqqa, Syria — was overrun by ISIS three years ago.

If Heinemann's name sounds familiar, then you might have seen his excellent, Oscar-nominated documentary Cartel Land.

[b][link=tt6333058]Dina[/link][/b] ([link=/sundance/mini-guide-us-documentary-competition/ls066403146/]U.S. Documentary Competition[/link]) The Orchard acquired the new project from the co-directing team of [link=nm397480]Dan Sickles[/link] and [link=nm1439692]Antonio Santina[/link] (their recent doc [i][link=tt3314958]Mala Mala[/link][/i] is fantastic). The documentary, which centers on an autistic couple who are headed to the altar, won the audience award in its category.

Netflix purchased worldwide rights to this documentary for $5 million, according to reports. The movie chronicles writer/director Bryan Fogel's foray into the world of performance-enhancing drugs and international efforts to subvert testing.

Fox Searchlight reportedly paid more than $4 million for the worldwide rights to this documentary, which tracks the senior year of a girls high school step team in inner-city Baltimore. The girls strive to make their dancing a success and become the first in their families to attend college, against the backdrop of social unrest in their troubled city.

The Orchard has acquired all North American distribution (excluding broadcast) to this documentary and plans a theatrical release later this year on a minimum of 150 screens. CNN will air the documentary later this year. The film offers an look into the powerhouse industries of big-game hunting, breeding and wildlife conservation in the U.S. and Africa unravels the complex consequences of treating animals as commodities.

Netflix has acquired worldwide rights to this documentary and will premiere on the streaming service later this year. The film centers on a teenager who rallies thousands of kids to skip school and occupy the streets when the Chinese Communist Party backtracks on its promise of autonomy to Hong Kong.

Blackpills has acquired rights to Adaptive Studios’ digital series "Pineapple." Directed, written, and edited by Akasha Stevenson, the storyline focuses on a miner’s daughter who is assaulted in the local coal mine. Following the attack, she utters only one word, leaving the town’s sheriff baffled.